国際関係研究科では、博士課程前期課程を修了後、世界食糧計画（WFP）でProgramme Policy Officer (School Feeding)として働くAna Margarida Rodrigues氏によるキャリアセミナーを実施しました。

International Career Seminar -Exploring Global Careers in International Relations-と題したセミナーは、2024年度大学院ウィークの一環として企画されました。
Anaさんからは、自身の国際的なキャリアを積んでいる経験談や修士号の学位取得がキャリアの可能性をどう広げるのかについて等、学生生活のヒントとなるお話を聞くことが出来ました。

当日の様子は、下記のとおりです（英文のみ）。
立命館大学の学生はキャリアセンターHPから動画を視聴できます（2025年11月まで）

Guest Speaker: Ms. Ana Margarida Rodrigues

Currently based in: Maputo, Mozambique 

・Mozambican Humanitarian
・National Officer at UN World Food Programme
・MA in International Relations by Ritsumeikan University

Questions and Answers

Q) Could I ask a little more about why you studied at Ritumeikan, and has any connections to your job now?

A) If you are to link it to the certain subject in particular, you may not to find it so much in that sense. Probably you have to study something related to gender.

For me it was more about the topic of my master’s thesis that was the rural development. You can already imagine the type of scenarios you will find. To overcome the poverty, and all that needs that are in that area. You’ll have to be aware of the types of vulnerabilities that are there. Children are the first to suffer. For women, what kind of sensitiveness you have to have, also design projects, and contribute to projects that would be impactful to different levels of vulnerabilities. I wouldn’t talk about one subject, but in particular, for me, what guided was the end I was studying. The rural development was the main motor, and also looking at this protection.

It is about the experience that you gather. You start developing an interest even within the area of work. You start developing the interest that is looking at the specific points. When I say protection, you will look at feedback mechanisms. Feedback that you put in place so that the beneficial is of your interventions are heart, and find a way to communicate with the project. You start also getting more interests in some of the areas. It’s been a part within my career.

Q) You have already had a bachelor’s degree, but do you think you need Master’s degree to further career? Or specifically in IR, the Bachelor and your work experience are enough?

A) People also found it a bit redundant that I was doing again international relations. Despite not being a very similar looking at diplomacy before, and with my master’s, I was looking at little development but also global cooperation program. What’s particular about other studies is that it will actually broaden your mind. When you go to grad school, it’s no longer about absorbing only. It’s about having a chance to reinvent yourself but also you basically a license to think and put it down and validate what you think based on what you had as a background of scholars of books that you’ve read, and all the work you have submitted before. The scrutiny is a bit different because now you a thinker, you are becoming the thinker at that moment, so you will have that chance. I found it really necessary in that sense because it’s not only about skills at this point, but giving you the tools, mental tools to actually be able to create something.

In this field of work, you will have to be able create, you’ll be requested to have a certain way of thinking of someone who can actually come with well structured ideas and this is something that you actually can only have if you go for further studies. You’re not reproducing things, but you are a creator. For me that was the thing that I actually needed and realized that I had to pursue further studies. Also, in 2015, I was fresh out of school not bring a lot to the table in fact, but still being absorbing part of experience that I had, so I said okay from there on. I was there for a few months and after that I got the chance to come to Japan. So, it was really a path that you have to choose and be consistent again about it. 

Q) How do you keep yourself mentally focused?

A) It is very difficult but you have to make sure you put your heart with a shield. You have to find a way to shield it a bit from this. Not to be distant from the situation, but in a way, you can shield it from the stories. School feeding for example. Sometimes and too often unfortunately plate of food that we provide in school is usually the only one that this child will eat during the day. Or you are saving this person from early marriage for example. Now they can go to school, learn, eat, and be actually some stories are made, but make sure you shield. I personally try to find ways to detox, and it’s really detoxing because if you keep absorbing at some point you will just reach in a breakdown. Find your own ways right to shield yourself from those situations. My way also is looking at immediate rewards that you get they call it easy wins. What is a smile of child doing to you is receiving that support that you have directly impacted into that. I remember that I had to procure the beans for example. That is child is eating. They are smiling today. They are coming school tomorrow. They have reached the end of the year without dropping out for example. Focus in the small, not small but easy wins, more visible ones that will also help you shield your heart and your emotions, because they are there. Don’t try to avoid it, try to deal with them. It’s indeed a very difficult in any humanitarian kind of situations. You have to be strong. There is no recipe.

Q) Please give us advice for people currently struggling to see the pathway they want to go in the future.

A) Do you know what you don’t want to do? Maybe start from there, what you don’t want to do at all. Make a list simple, straightforward your bullet points. What is your strong, and focus on those ones. You have an opportunity to brag a bit of what you can already do as a skill. Make a list of that. What you love doing, what you don’t absolutely want to do. You will see you already have a pattern where you want to fall in. It also means that you have to know yourself. Take your time to look into your skills. What are you curious about. It’s not only about the areas you master, but areas that will allow you to grow, because there is evolving situations, opportunities. Try to look at that because it’s your life, your career. Start somewhere that’s very difficult to do when you are 10 years in, but make sure that you will have at least plan A, plan B and you go for it. Plan A and plan B, it’s not really because you are already designing failure but what you are going to do alternatively and you will not accept setbacks.

There is no straightforward recipe.

Conclusion:

Keep working, be consistent in what you are doing, don’t stop moving in terms of personal development because it will require you what makes the difference is, what you can do, but also what you can learn faster than the others. It’s the competition world unfortunately. Don’t take things lightly, don’t waste the time, of course you can be balanced about other things to do. Maintain the focus, keep working. 

For the female in particular, international career is extremely difficult in that sense when you have to balance with your personal life. What is required for you is gender rules and norms.  

Do you want to move your family or not, do you want to have your family or not? All of those things you will have to think about. This is only for part I am mentioning girls because we all know that there are some norms we usually have to convey, and we face different kind of challenges throughout life. I couldn’t enclose this without making that point. Thank you.